Judge apologizes for not holding hearing in Newport News court

November 06, 2010|By Ashley Kelly and Peter Dujardin

A federal judge apologized in court last week after a Newport News prosecutor and spectators trekked to Norfolk for an hourlong sentencing hearing.

U.S. District Judge Mark S. Davis said his assistant is under a "standing order" to schedule all Newport News division cases — cases arising from the Peninsula and Middle Peninsula — at the new courthouse on West Avenue in downtown Newport News.

"Any time I have a Newport News case, I go to Newport News, unless I have some other pending matter scheduled here," Davis said Monday. "I'm sorry you had to come here this morning."

He addressed his apology to the family and friends of Sabrina Antoine-Berry, a former Newport News city employee whom Davis was about to sentence for embezzling $19,000 from the city. Davis also apologized to Howard Zlotnick, a federal prosecutor based in Newport News.

Davis made the comments the day after an article came out in the Daily Press saying that Norfolk-based judges rarely use the Newport News courthouse, even though the state-of-the-art building costs taxpayers $1.4 million a year to lease.

The Daily Press found that of 213 hearings in the criminal felony cases filed in the first three months of the year, only eight were held at the new courthouse. The rest, or 205 hearings, were held in Norfolk.

The numbers show that Davis — who accounted for seven of the eight criminal felony hearings in Newport News — comes to the new courthouse more than his colleagues.

Davis blamed a "continuous problem with rain" for why he wasn't in Newport News on Monday.

He described a trial last year in which water began coming into the courtroom "onto my chair." It came in over the jury box, too, he said, though the jury was not in the room at the time. Luckily, he said, the rain stopped coming in "before they came back in to deliver their verdict."

"As soon as we get that repaired, we'll be back over there," Davis promised.

Your vote is needed

The Southeast Community Weed & Seed is asking for the public's help to win a $25,000 Pepsi Refresh Project Grant, according to a news release from the Newport News Sheriff's Office.

The money will be used to start a program to teach soon-to-be-released offenders the trade of sheetrock and wood framing. Knowing a trade will increase their job opportunities, and being able to work will reduce the likelihood of them being a repeat offender, according to the release.

This program is a collaboration of volunteers, the Newport News Sheriff's Office and Weed & Seed.

Weed & Seed is a not-for-profit coalition dedicated to reducing violent and drug-related crime and mobilizing people to take responsibility for their neighborhoods.

The Pepsi Refresh Project awards grants for ideas that will have a positive impact on the community. Ideas are posted online and the public decides who wins by voting during a one-month period. Ideas with the most votes receive a grant.